The Greatest Gift!

1John; 5:11-12
(And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.)

Christmas is a time of great celebration for all believers in Christ. It is the day we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If God hadn't come down and been born of the virgin, we would have no hope of forgiveness. Jesus is the greatest gift ever given to man. He demonstrated a love that most of us can't even imagine. He was willing to suffer and die in our place because He loved us so much. The world is all excited because it's a Holiday and retailers will be making lots of money with people buying presents. They will be partying while the Christian will be giving thanks unto God.

During this time of year let us not forget the significance of the season. Tell others what a great gift they have been given if only they would accept the gift. Jesus gives us life eternal while the world offers us death eternal. If we don't confess our sins and repent of them and receive forgiveness from Jesus, then we are doomed to eternal separation from God in hell. God is patient and not willing that any should perish, but every day we get closer to death and judgement. Don't put it off any longer. Come to Jesus today and then celebrate the greatest gift ever given. Eternal Life In Heaven!

God Bless You
Merry Christmas To You

"Immanuel", Which Is Translated, "God With Us!"

Matthew; 1:23
("Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us.")
As we get closer to Christmas, we need to remember why we celebrate this season. We are celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Even though our society keeps trying to force Christ out of Christmas, all Christians will never forget the gift of God through Jesus Christ. If He hadn't came and died in our place, we would not have any hope in life. We would have been doomed to destruction at death because of our sins. So all true believers celebrate Christmas because it is Jesus birthday.

Now we have the cults who deny that Jesus is God and refuse to acknowledge Him as God the Son. The Scripture is clear that Jesus is God but many refuse to believe. Satan has been busy since the beginning trying to keep people from coming to Him and many have fallen into his lie. We should be in the Scriptures daily so we won't be easily deceived by the lie. If you don't study God's Word you leave yourself open to attack and are defenseless because you can't correct those who lie.

Romans; 9:5
(of whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen)
This is not intended primarily as a benediction,but as an affirmation of the sovereignty and deity of Christ. It doesn't really get much more clear than this passage. Here we are told plain and simple that Jesus is God. Another Scripture is in the Book of Hebrews even though all through the Scriptures we are directed toward Christ.
Hebrews; 1:8-9
(But of the Son He says: "Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.")
Now some may try to deny who God is talking with here, but right at the beginning He say "Son" referring to Jesus. So if you hadn't known this Scripture when the cults came calling, you might be deceived. This Christmas, when someone tells you "happy holidays," reply "Merry Christmas," because that is really who and why we are celebrating.

Merry Christmas and
God Bless You

A Wicked Generation!

Genesis; 6:5
(Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was on evil continually.)

How many times have you heard someone tell you that basically they are a good person. Probably all of us have said this at some time or other. But here in Genesis, the Lord says "that mans heart is bent on evil continually". We have to realize that not one of us is good in the sight of a righteous God. We may do good things but all of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. That is why everyone of us needs a Savior and Jesus came to earth to provide us a means of Salvation. When He died on the cross, he died in our place to pay the price for sin.

God destroyed all living things in the flood except for Noah, his wife and his three sons and their wives. Also God saved some of all the animals, birds, and creeping things. They all went into the ark that Noah had built and God flooded the earth. We wonder just how evil the earth was at that time compared to how evil it is today. From what I see today, we have turned our backs on God just as they had in Noah's time. We have become a very evil generation.

I personally don't think it will be long before the Rapture of the church. If you have given your life to Jesus and put your faith in Him, now is the day. Tell Jesus that you know you have sinned and you are sorry for that sin and that you repent of those sins. Tell Him that you know He came to die for your sins and the sins of the world and ask Him to forgive you. Tell Him you want to give your life to Him and ask Him to come into your life and give you freedom from sin. Put all your faith in Him and thank Jesus for saving you. If you do this and you are truly sorry and mean what you say, He will save you and give you new life in Him.
Ephesians; 2:8-9
(For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.)

God Bless You!

News Or Gossip?

Proverbs; 20:19
(He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets, Therefore do not associate with a gossip.)

Tiger Woods, probably the most famous golfer of all time has an affair. At least that is what the news media has been spewing out as fast as they can get it to print. It's like every time you turn on the TV that is what you are confronted with. OK! Let's assume He did have an affair to which he has admitted, it now is not news but turning into gossip. God tells us that let the first one of us without sin cast the first stone. That alone leaves everyone of us out.

It seems to be the rallying point anymore when someone falls, whether they are a Christian or not, we tend to run with it and beat them into the dirt. God tells us to be careful that we don't fall ourselves so how can we judge others when there is only one true judge. It seems to be human nature to like to know what is going on in some one's life. Most of us have our own dirty closet and we should not be trying to clean some one's closet but our own. Don't contribute to this by buying the magazines that are full of gossip. Instead we should be praying for Tiger and his family that God will heal their marriage. Remember, nothing is impossible with God.

God Bless You!

Let's Give Thanks This Thanksgiving And Always!

Hebrews; 13:15-16
(Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.)
It seems to me that people in general have a very good knack for complaining. If we were honest with ourselves, we all do it from time to time. Then we when really take a good look at our lives, most of us have it so much better that the rest of the world. I read a quote in twitter today and it really drove the point home. "Most of our garbage disposals see more food from a single meal than much of the world sees in a single day". Yet we can always find something to complain about.

What we should be doing is what the writer of Hebrews said. We should always be giving thanks to God in all circumstances. Here we are getting close to Thanksgiving Day and we need to reflect on all that God has given us. Most of us have our health, a roof over our head, heat in the winter, our families, our friends, and a place to worship God without persecution. This doesn't even scratch the surface of what we should be thankful for.

Some of us have given our lives to Jesus and have eternal life. We couldn't ask for a better gift than that and often we forget to thank God for saving us. This Thanksgiving, let's reflect on all we have and thank God for His tender mercies and love which He has bestowed on us. There isn't a single one of us who deserves anything we have because we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Because of His great love for us, we are still alive to celebrate this holiday with friends and family.

I personally thank you God for saving me and giving me eternal life. Thank you for being patient with me and not giving up on me before I came to Jesus for forgiveness. Everything I am and all that I have is a gift from you God. Without you in my life, I am nothing and I give you all the praise and glory and worship and thanks. I'm a child of God thanks to Jesus Christ my Savior and Lord.

God Bless You!

Is It Politically Correct?

Mark; 8:38
(For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.")
It's about this time of year that people start to wish everyone "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas". It's just another ploy of the evil one trying to take Christ out of Christmas. Well with me, when someone tells me to have a "Happy Holiday", I like to reply "You have a Merry Christmas". What is this world coming to when we can't even mention the name of Christ, because it might offend someone. Just because they choose to deny Jesus Christ and His birth, I don't and it offends me. Once again, you have the minority telling the majority what they can say and do.

This year, make every effort to tell people "Merry Christmas" instead of "Happy Holidays". We are celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If the rest of the world chooses to deny this fact, we as Christians need to stand firm in our belief. Maybe they will tell you that they aren't suppose to say Merry Christmas, and that is when you say, "well I can say it". If everyone would start saying "Merry Christmas", that would put and end to this nonsense.

I'm not ashamed of Jesus, are you? As a matter of fact, when we are made fun of or persecuted for our faith, we are to rejoice in this. Glorify God every chance we are given opportunity to do so.
1Peter;4:16
(Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.)

God Bless You!

Children Obey Your Parents!

Ephesians; 6:1-3
(Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with a promise: "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth".)
Obeying our parents isn't something that we should have to be told. It should just come naturally but it doesn't. Because of the fall of man in the garden when Adam disobey God and ate of the forbidden fruit, we all have the sin nature in us. As a child grows, they begin to want their own way in spite of what their parents tell them. Disobedience is a form of dishonoring your parents. Most of our parents want what is best for us and try to give us good advice. But when we don't do what they have said and do what we want, we put ourselves in harms way. This could be drinking alcohol, smoking, drugs, hanging with the wrong crowd, or any other thing that is detrimental to our health.

God, because He loves us has given us commandments to live by. He's not trying to keep us from having fun in life, but to keep us from a harmful lifestyle. All we have to do is look at the number of lives that have been lost because of alcohol. Yes, the Bible doesn't say you can't drink, but it does say you are not to get drunk. Most of us have done things that could have resulted in death, but by the grace of God we lived through it. If you have given your life to Jesus, you are part of the family of God. He is your heavenly Father and He cares for you. Just as your earthly father tried to keep you from harm, so does God.

God has graciously added the promise of special blessings to those who obey this command. God has given each of us life and He knows what is best for each one of us. Jesus was obedient when He came to earth to die for our sin. If He hadn't come and died in our place, none of us would of had any hope of eternal life. But by doing it, He paid the price for our sins.
Romans; 6:23
(For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.)
We can all be thankful that Jesus obeyed and now we can have eternal life through Him. Children, obey your parents, your life will go much smoother.

God Bless You!

Prayer!

James; 5:16
(Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man avails much.)
Most of us if we were honest would say "our prayer life is sub-par or non existent", yet we are instructed to pray without ceasing. Our mind and thoughts are to directed toward God in heaven as we go along our daily life. Yes, we are to pay attention to what we are doing but we need to keep God in the forefront of our daily life. The Bible talks about prayer all the time and we must conclude that it is very important. It is our way of communicating with our heavenly Father. God already knows what we need even before we ask Him but we still must pray. Moses prayed to God that He would not destroy the people of Israel in the wilderness. Elijah prayed to God and God brought down fire from heaven and burned up the sacrifice on Mount Carmel. Many men praying in the Bible and God answering their prayers.

We also are instructed to pray for our leaders whether they are spiritual or political leaders. We need to pray that they will be sensitive to God's speaking. We also should be thankful in our prayers thanking God for all He has done for us. We would not have anything if God had not allowed us to have it. So remember to thank Him for it. We need to pray for the unsaved in the world that they would repent and come to saving knowledge of Jesus. So remember to pray without ceasing and may God bless you.

God Bless You!

Fear Of The Lord!

Proverbs; 1:7
(The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.)
I have heard people say that they don't fear the Lord. They will say "why should I fear Him"? But the Bible is clear that we should have a fear for the Lord. It should be a healthy fear as He is God who created everything that is in existence. He created us and wants us to be obedient to Him in all that we do. If you have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, then you have become one of God's children and He is your heavenly Father. I don't know about you, but I feared making my earthly dad mad by being disobedient to him. I always knew that if I did wrong, there would be consequences in the form of punishment.

If you willfully sin against God by disobeying Him, do you not fear that there will be consequences? The Scripture tells us that God disciplines His own.
Proverbs; 3:11-12
(My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor detest His correction; For whom the LORD loves He corrects, Just as a father the son in whom he delights.)
If you are truly a child of God, then you can expect correction when you sin. If you are not getting any correction, then you may be illegitimate and not a child of God. Yes, God does love you and want you to become part of His family, but you must come through Jesus Christ to be saved.

Maybe you haven't given your life to Jesus because you fear the ridicule of man more than the fear of God. You may lose friends when you give your life to Jesus, because you won't run into sin with them anymore. They will see that you have something they don't by the new life you'll live. God tells us not to fear man but to fear Him.
Matthew; 10:28
(And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.)
Persecutors can only harm the body, but God is the one who destroys in hell. So I say, "Fear the Lord and obey Him". He loves you and wants you to come to saving knowledge of Him. Don't say no to Jesus, give your life to Jesus today.

God Bless You!
It's important to obey God and be a light in a dark world.

Are You Ready?

1Thessalonians; 4:16-17
(For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.)
These verses refer to the time of the Rapture. This time will be when Jesus calls to Himself only those who are saved through faith in Him. There will be total chaos when this happens because people will suddenly disappear. Those who have refused to believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior will be left here to go through the tribulation period. It's going to be a time a great distress on the earth unlike any the world has ever known.

The word rapture is not used in this section, but that is the literal meaning of caught up. The Latin word rapto means "to seize, to carry off," and from it we get our English word rapture. So, for those who want to argue that the word rapture isn't in the Bible, this explains the meaning of the phrase "caught up". If you have put your faith in Jesus and been saved, you won't have to go through this tribulation period. If you want to know just how bad this period will be, read Revelation, 6-19.

Type in this web site and view this video http://bit.ly/2UQ7hd , this video dramatizes what it could be like. Just how quickly it will happen and how confused those who remain will be. They probably have heard about the rapture but refused to believe. We don't know the time of this event and we need to be ready. If you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, now is the day. Tell Jesus that you know you need a Savior and you are sorry for your sins and you want Him to come into your life and save you.

God Bless You!

Physical Food Or Spiritual Food?

After Jesus had been in the wilderness fasting for forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. Satan came to Him and began the temptation. He knew that Jesus was hungry and tried to tempt Him with his hunger. Jesus quoted the Scripture to Satan.
Matthew; 4:4
(But He answered and said, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.' ")
Jesus had come to do the will of the Father, nothing was going to stop Him from accomplishing the Father's will.

Are you taking in earthly bread as well as Spiritual bread. We need earthly bread to sustain life here on earth, and we need Spiritual bread to gain life into eternity. Where do we find this Spiritual bread?
John; 6:27
(Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.")
Jesus told them He was real food which leads to eternal life. Everything in this world will be destroyed one day and we need to be giving our lives to Jesus. He is the only real food and the provider of eternal life.

John; 6:47-48
(Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. I am the bread of life.)
All through the Scripture we are told that we must believe in Jesus to have eternal life. This is putting all your faith in Him, and believing that He is who He says He is, and that there is nothing you can do to save yourself except believe in Him. Jesus paid the price for sin when He died on the cross. When Jesus died on the cross, He said it is finished. He had completed the will of the Father and provided the means for forgiveness of sins. Jesus is the only way to have forgiveness of sins.
John; 14:6
(Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.)
Romans; 10:9-10
(that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.)
It's that simple!

God Bless You!

A Nation Tumbles!

For the past few years, our nation has been on a downward spiral. We have had our leaders blame the problem on past leaders or the economy or whatever they could fine to blame it on. But the root of our problem is sin. We are slowly becoming a nation whose beliefs are in our self instead of God. People refuse to accept the fact that we were a great nation because of our Christian beliefs in God and the honor we gave Him. All of the blessing that God bestowed on this nation were a gift from him. The rains in due season, the dry weather in harvest, the snows during the winter to cover the winter wheat with moisture. We took all of this for granted thinking that is just the way it will always be.

Then we had the enemies of God cry out against anything that pertained to God. The Ten Commandments, In God We Trust on our money, Crosses in public places, Prayer in public schools, Speaking about Jesus in classes, and the list goes on. The Christian population in this country sat back and didn't stand up for God and He was pushed out of almost everything. Now we are sliding into a nation just like Sodom and Gomorrah. Some of the most vile and wicked things were taking place in these cities and finally God destroyed them.

If the true Christians don't take a stand for God against this path we are on, our nation will soon become a nation that none of us recognize. God's not going to bless a nation that doesn't honor Him and obey His commandments. Christian people need to be heard and heard loudly. Tell your congressmen and congresswomen to quit cowing down to these special interest groups and start standing up for what is right. Let's give God the honor for all He has done for this nation. If we don't do this, there is no hope for recovery.

God Bless You!

Time For Thought!

We just arrived back from seeing our family in New Mexico. It was a fun trip as we don't live close to each other anymore. On the way home, we witnessed the aftermath of a couple of accidents. As I drove along, I thought about how quickly a person can lose his or her life. I'm sure before these two wrecks, the people were not thinking "this may be their last few breaths here on earth". I don't know if anyone died in these two accidents, but it didn't look good for anyone.

Luke; 12:16-20
(Then He spoke a parable to them, saying: "The ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no room to store my crops?' So he said, I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there I will store my crops and goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry." But God said to him, 'Fool! This very night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided?')
Just as in this parable, the rich man didn't know his time on earth was just about over. It is the same with us in that we don't know when our life will be over. We need to live every day as it may be our last. Don't wait until tomorrow to give your life to Jesus as you may never get another chance.

God Bless You!

When God Is With Us!

Numbers; 21:34

(Then the LORD said to Moses, "Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, with all his people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon.)

All through the history of the people of Israel, when they were obeying God things went good for them and when they were disobedient to God things went bad. Many of the wars they fought in, they were outnumbered by their enemy but God was with them and gave them the victory. God would tell them "Don't fear this people for I have given them into your hand." Notice that God gave them the victory. There were times when they didn't listen to God and then they would be defeated because they thought they could do it on their own.

It's the same thing today. When we think we can do something on our own with out God, we are asking for defeat. I feel that is why our country is in decline as a super power. We have forgotten why we were victorious in battle against our enemies. We used to have God with us and He gave us the victories. Now we have we allowed our country to push God out of the way and we are suffering the consequences. We have turned away from our God and we are no longer being blessed. We have made laws to allow abominations in God's sight and we are in for trouble. We have forgotten our roots which made us a great country.

It's amazing how we can forget God so easily. When we are in trouble we call out to Him but when things are cozy and comfortable we seem to forget Him. I feel that is where our country is right now. When 9/11 happened, the churches were full of people looking for answers, but now that things have calmed down, there are fewer people looking to God. If you have spent anytime in your Bible, you know that without God we can do nothing. He is the vine and we are the branches. If we are cut from the vine, we will dry up and perish. We need to stay connected to God if we want to survive.

If you aren't connected to Jesus today, then ask Him to come into your heart and save you. He is the only way to have forgiveness. When you have eternal life in Jesus, the things going on in the world won't seem as scary. We are told in Scripture that this present world will end one day and I feel we are getting very close. So put your faith in Jesus. He is our Lord and Savior.

God Bless You!

Why Discipline!

Today in the news we hear of yet another child being beaten while riding a school bus. Not just your normal beating, but hit many times by another youth. Not only that, but others on the bus were encouraging him to continue the beating. Next, the attackers are arrested and put in juvenile court to receive a slap on their hand. What's wrong with our justice system? What if this child was your child? He's been beaten severely and all the attackers get is a slap on the hand. As a parent, you would be outraged.

Our society is becoming more violent every day. It's not just the adults doing this but our youth are just as violent. Why are we witnessing such a down turn in society? Well, God has told us to discipline our children if we love them. We have disobey God by not disciplining them and the result is we have a bunch hoodlums running around. They have no respect for the law or human life. Do I think we can reverse this trend, NO I don't. It's not that we don't want to reverse it but it has gotten totally out of control.

I really feel this is just a sign of the times. All of this was prophesied in the Bible and we are beginning to witness it. We have decided to obey man rather than God and now we reap the consequences. Some child therapist says don't spank you child because it can cause problems when they grow up. Now parents are afraid to discipline because they can be turned into the law and be arrested. God warned us of what will happen in the last days.
2Timothy; 3:1-4
( But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, )
The only thing we as Christian parents can do is obey God and pray for our children. Pray for their salvation and that they will grow up to be obedient to God. It's our only hope of reversing this trend of violence.

We are living in the last days. If you haven't given your life to Jesus, today is the day. Don't keep thinking you'll have another chance because you may not. Tell Jesus you're sorry for sinning against Him. Ask Him to forgive your sins and come into your life and save you. Jesus is your only hope!

God Bless You!

A Stiff-Necked People!

I'm sure you have heard the saying "The more things change, the more they remain the same". It is just as true today as when Moses was leading the people through the Wilderness. God would give them a command and they would disobey. Sound familiar? Today we are a stiff-necked people just like they were. We refuse to obey God just like they did. God says don't steal, don't commit adultery, don't kill, don't bear false witness and the list goes on. We kill the unborn babies, lie on the witness stand, commit adultery, steal from our employers and so forth. We are commanded not to have any other gods before God and we worship money, sports figures, movie stars, and on and on. We have placed everything in front of God and most don't even want Him around.

In America today we not only have corruption in main stream life but it spills over into our governing officials. This just shows us that anyone can fall into sin even if they are an elected official. God tells us "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". Some people who are put into a position of public trust cannot be trusted any more than anyone else. Whether it be politics or your in neighborhood schools. It's sad but true. Now I'm not saying that all public officials and teachers cannot be trusted, but that some have shown us that any of us can fall into temptation.

Whats the answer? We need to pray for our elected officials and people in a position of trust, that they remain faithful to God. If they don't know God, that they will come to know Him. He is the only one who can clean up this mess. Unfortunately, many don't believe so things just keep getting worse. As believers, we need to be examples to the rest of the world. Don't be mistaken, they are watching us. So lean on God's strength and power, not your own so you don't fall.
1Corinthians; 10:12-13
(Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.)

God Bless You!

Tell The Truth, The Whole Truth!

Matthew; 28:18-20
(And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen)
Notice that Jesus didn't say to water down the message so that it doesn't offend some people. He said to tell them everything that He commanded. The truth and nothing but the truth. There are a lot of different messages be given today so that everyone goes away feeling good. These type of half truths are leading many people to hell.

Jesus tells us that there is no other way to the Father except through Him. This might make some upset because they want to live their life their way and Jesus says you must come to Him to be forgiven. We are living in a world of political correctness where we must make sure we don't offend someone. They are not offended because of what we say as much as being upset by the message. They are being convicted of their sin and they don't like it. You can't have it both ways. Either you are on the road to heaven, or you are on the road to hell. There is no other roads to choose from.
Matthew; 7:13-14
("Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.)

I choose to teach the truth even if some people find it offensive. I will obey God not man.

God Bless You!

Is There Another Way?

I was reading a blog I follow and it is amazing that people refuse to believe the truth. It wasn't the Blogger, but a person she follows. God has provided us with a way to have forgiveness of sins, yet many refuse to accept the forgiveness. Why is that so? I believe it is hardness of heart along with pride. Many people have this false assumption that they can be good enough to make it to heaven. But God tells us that no one is righteous, no not one. We are all sinners and without forgiveness from God, we will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire. Maybe you still don't believe this but God doesn't lie.
Romans; 6:23
(For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.)

So, is there another way to have forgiveness? NO! If there had been any other way, Jesus would not have had to die on the cross to pay for our sins. Jesus loves us so much that He doesn't want any of us to perish because of our sins. By dying on the cross, he paid the price for our sins (death), and now we can come to Him for forgiveness. Don't fall for the trap the world has set telling you that there are many ways to God.
John; 14:6
(Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.)

Come to Jesus today and have forgiveness.

God Bless You!

Joy Over One Sinner Who Repents!

Luke; 15:7
(I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance.)
Maybe you feel that no one cares about you. But here Jesus tells you that He wants to save you and if you repent of your sins, there will be joy in heaven. The angels will rejoice over your salvation. You are very important to God and He wants to welcome you into His family.

In the parable of the lost sheep, the Shepherd would leave the rest of the flock in fellow shepherds' hands and go in search of the lost sheep. Jesus left heaven and came to earth to search for the lost. Why did He do it? Because He loved us so much and He didn't want us to perish. He is the Great Shepherd and we are the sheep. All of us are lost and doomed to perish without accepting Him as Lord and Savior.
Matthew; 18:11
(For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost).

So, there is not only joy in heaven when you repent, but you'll have the joy of God in your heart. You will have eternal life in heaven with Jesus and will receive the joys of heaven also. There is no better joy than to know you are alive in Christ Jesus. You were once lost, but now you are saved.

God Bless You!

Rainbows, Why Are They There?

Rainbows...All of us have seen them and probably remarked how beautiful they are! Have you ever wondered why they show up after the rain? They happen because God places them there to remind Him of the covenant he made with man and all living things on the earth.
Genesis; 9:12-13
(And God said: "This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you, for perpetual generations: I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth.)

So you see this rainbow is brought on by God. Maybe you don't know the story of the flood, but God destroyed all living things except Noah and His three sons and their wives and two of every living thing. In this way, He was able to keep the species of every living thing that had the breath of life in it alive to repopulate the earth.
Genesis; 7:2-3
(You shall take with you seven each of every clean animal, a male and his female; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female; also seven each of birds of the air, male and female, to keep the species alive on the face of the earth.)

Why did God destroy the earth with the flood? It was because the people had become so evil in their heart. They had chosen not to obey God's commands and were in rebellion against Him. God would only put up with them for so long and then He said enough. Kind of reminds us of our world today, doesn't it? If God didn't allow evil to continue in Noah's day, why would He allow our present world to continue in evil? The answer is, He isn't going to!
2Peter; 3:5-7
(For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens of old, and the earth standing out of water and in water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.)

Men on the earth were destroyed because of wickedness then and men will be destroyed again for the same reason. Therefore, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless. How can you do this? Repent of your sins and ask Jesus for forgiveness. It's the only way!

God Bless You!

Are You Born Again?

Some people in the world think this is just a term that Christians use to separate them from the rest of the world. In fact, this does separate you from the rest of the world in that you are alive both physically and spiritually. The Bible is very specific on this in that you cannot be born again without putting you faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. At that point, the Holy Spirit dwells within you and you become alive spiritually. If you haven't done this, then you are not born again and are not part of the family of God. You must believe that Jesus is the Christ, the promised Messiah or Anointed One whom God sent into the world to be the Savior from sin.

Being part of the family of God is not something we deserve of something we gain by being of any certain race or culture. It isn't given to you because of the church you attend nor is it hereditary. It is given only by the direct act of God. It is the inner working of the Holy Spirit in our lives giving us new birth. He gives us a new heart and a new spirit and we become a new creation in Christ Jesus. Without His work, we are spiritually dead and there is nothing we can do to merit salvation.

When you are born again, you'll begin to change to be more like Christ. Your attitude will be different toward others because you'll have the love of God in you. You'll have eternal life given to you by God and you become a child of God. It doesn't get any better than that. Here we are a sinner deserving of death, and Jesus comes down to earth and dies in our place. Then He gives us eternal life which we don't deserve and welcomes us into His family. How great is that? All we have to do is believe in Him and ask for His forgiveness. Why do people reject so great a gift?

If you haven't already accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, do so today. He loves you and wants to forgive you but you must come to Him. Not because you have to but because want to.
John; 3:16
(For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.)
BELIEVES-To trust, rely on, and have faith in Him. Faith is not just a one time event, but an ongoing condition. Saving faith is a gift from God that He produces in a persons heart. Ask God to give you that faith and give your life to Jesus.

God Bless You!

God Is Merciful!

1Chronicles; 16:34
(Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! His mercy endures forever.)
Sometimes I'll hear someone say, "How can God allow that to happen?" Well, I would never try to answer for God why He does some things and doesn't do other things. All I do know is that God is faithful when we aren't, and that He loves me and is merciful to me. The Scriptures are full of God's grace and mercy which He has shown to individuals as well as whole nations. Take our nation the United States for example. Over the years, we have become more corrupt, more immoral, more wicked, and out right sinful, and it keeps getting worse. God has shown us grace and mercy by not destroying us for our wickedness.

Why does God allow this to go on when He has told us in His Word not to do these things? He is giving mankind every opportunity to repent and turn away from sin. God doesn't want anyone to perish but that all come to saving knowledge and be saved.
Lamentations; 3:22-24
(Through the LORD's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. "The LORD is my portion" says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him".
Are you able to say that today? Do you put all your hope and trust in Jesus? If not, today is the day to turn away from sin and ask Jesus for forgiveness. He promises to forgive all who come to Him for forgiveness.

Start every day with a song of praise to our God for His great mercies. We are instructed to be merciful to others as God is merciful to us. So as we have been shown mercy from God, we need to show mercy to our fellow man.
Matthew; 5:7
(Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.)

God Bless You!

Accept Jesus As Your Lord And Savior!

Revelation; 13:8
(All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.)
This verse is speaking about the time when the beast (antichrist) is ruling on earth. His power comes from satan and he will cause all whose names haven't been written in the Book of Life to worship him. They will be required to have a mark on their forehead or right hand in order to buy or sell anything. It's going to be a terrible time on the earth for any one who has not come to Christ for Salvation as they will not be able to buy food or sell anything. They will be hunted down and will probably be martyred for their faith.

Maybe you say "I would never worship this beast no matter what". If you are not able to take a stand for Jesus today when all that might happen to you is a little ridicule, how will you be able to take a stand for Jesus during this time period when it will probably cost you your life? You don't have to take that chance if you will just come to Jesus for Salvation today. He is ready to forgive you of your sins and give you eternal life if you'll just come.

As the verse says, all who dwell on the earth will worship him whose names have not been written in the Book of Life. If you haven't been raptured out of here with the rest of the church, then you will go through this period of time. This beast is going to be given power to perform signs and wonders so that people will believe he is God. They will believe the lie and receive the mark of his name and thus be doomed for eternity. Don't put yourself in this period of time, accept Jesus as Lord and Savior today. If you don't, this is what the Scripture says.

Revelation; 14:9-11
(Then the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever received the mark of his name.)

God Bless You!

The Choice!

We all have a choices to make in life and some are very difficult to make. Where will you go to school, who will you marry, the list is endless. As tough as these seem, there is one choice that will affect you not only in this life, but in the life to come. Where will you spend eternity? This is a choice that no one can make for you because it's your choice.

God tells us that He loved us so much that He gave His only begotten Son to die for our sins and now we can have forgiveness of sins. Jesus didn't have to come to earth to die in our place, but because of His great love for us, He chose to come. Now you and I have a choice to make. Will we accept that free gift from Him or will we let our pride get in the way and we refuse the gift? There will be consequences if you refuse Him and your name won't be written in the Book of Life. You might ask, "What is so bad about that"?
Revelation; 20:15
(And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.)

The other choice you can make is to accept Jesus as your Savior and have eternal life in Heaven with Him. Before a person comes to Jesus, they think their life is good just the way it is. They think a Christian can't have any fun or joy in their life, but that is just the opposite of how it is. When you become a child of God, you have more peace and joy than those who don't have God. You have the freedom from sin that you never had before and that in itself bring joy. The most important thing you have is forgiveness of sins. Without this, your doomed to spend eternity separated from God in hell. Our few years down here don't even scratch the surface of eternity.

John; 3:16
(For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.)
Remember, God loves you so much that He is offering this free gift of life. All you have to do is say yes to Jesus and the gift is yours.

God Bless You!

Pray For The Lost!

Maybe you are a person who is afraid to talk about Jesus. Maybe you just aren't comfortable so you don't witness when you know you should. I'm sure there are many times we wished we would have said something and didn't. You are not alone when you've failed to witness, but fear isn't an excuse not to speak up for Jesus. God gave us the command to go into all the world and tell others about Him.

I have personally had many times I didn't speak up only to regret it latter. We have to realize that person may never get another opportunity to hear the good news about Salvation in Jesus Christ. There has been times when I have witnessed to people and we went our way and I thought, that didn't go very well. But God tells us that His Word will accomplish His purpose and not come back void.
Isaiah; 55:11
(So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth. It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.)
If God has sent you to talk to a person, don't worry if you'll be good at it or not. God will do the work, all we have to do is be faithful and spread the Word. We never know how God will use even a casual word of witness to plant and water the seed in somebody's heart.

Another thing we need to be doing is praying for the lost. Probably everyone of us who have accepted Jesus Christ for our Salvation have had someone praying for us. I know that God answers prayer and we need to ask. So don't be shy, stand up for our Lord and Savior and spread the Word today, and don't forget to pray for the lost souls. Eternity is for ever.

God Bless You!

Is There Going To Be Punishment?

Isaiah; 13:9-11
(Behold the day of the Lord comes, Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, To lay the land desolate; And He will destroy its sinners from it. For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not give their light; The sun will be darkened in its going forth, And the moon will not cause its light to shine. I will punish the world for its evil, And the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, And will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.)
You don't hear many messages of punishment coming from the pulpit anymore. I guess it's not politically correct. But God mentions it many places in the Bible so I take Him at His word. If God tells us that those who choose to live a life in sin will be punished, I believe God.

We don't know when the second coming of Christ will be, so we need to be sure we are telling the lost souls the good news of Salvation. Our life here on earth is so short and we shouldn't waste any of it. God gave us the command to tell others about Him and we had better be obedient to this command. I know that sometimes we get nervous about witnessing and so we don't do it. Maybe that chance was the last opportunity that person would have had to here the good news. Don't be a conformer to the worlds view of things, but rather stand up for what you know is true. Jesus says He is the only way and people need to know that.

God wants us to be a shinning light in a dark world, so let shine forth with the good news of Salvation in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God Bless You!

How Many Chances Do You Have?

Luke; 13:8-9
But he answered and said to him, 'Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.' ")
The man had planted a vineyard and came checking for fruit on the trees. This tree had been in the ground three years and the owner was expecting fruit to be on it. When he didn't find any, he told the keeper of the vineyard to cut it down. This tree was taking up space and wasn't producing fruit. The keeper interceded for the tree and ask the owner to give it more time to become fruitful.

When a person tells you he is a Christian, you should be able to see evidence of his faith. He should be bearing fruit for the kingdom of God. The picture of apostate Christians who never genuinely believed are the ones who are not bear fruit. Christ tells us that every branch that doesn't bear fruit, the Father takes it away so that the fruit bearing branches can bear more fruit.

All of us are born with a number of days to live and we don't know how many times we will have the chance to be saved. The Holy Spirit comes along side of us and encourages us to give our hearts to Jesus. Maybe you have heard the Word of God but just haven't come to the point of repenting of your sins. Maybe the next day the Holy Spirit is convicting you to repent and still you won't. So you keep putting it off thinking there will be a better time. Maybe that night you die in your sleep without Christ and now you have died in your sins. You didn't accept the free gift of God of forgiveness of sins and you will pay the price yourself.
Romans; 6:23
(For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.)

How many chances do any of us have to come to Christ? We don't know. Only God knows this and He keeps asking you to be saved. God tells us that He doesn't want any of us to perish but we have to make the choice to come to Jesus ourselves. Will you come to Jesus today, or will you spend eternity in hell? The choice is yours to make.
Revelation; 3:20
(Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.)
How many more chances will you have?

God Bless You!

The Testimony That God Has Given Us!

1John; 5:11-12
(And this is the testimony; that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.)
It doesn't get any more plain than this statement. The world will tell you that you can find many ways to eternal life. But that is totally wrong because the witness of God tells us that with out the Son of God, (Jesus) you don't have life. I believe in God's witness rather than the world witness.

There will be many who go through life assuming they have eternal life because they have believed the worlds lies. Then at the judgement they will be cast into the Lake of Fire. All because they have refused the free gift of life which is in Jesus Christ our Lord. I can't understand why anyone would want to risk their eternal life by listening to the world. When you give your life to Jesus you have peace that only He is able to give you. You know that your eternal life is secure in Him because He tells you that no one is able to snatch you out of His hand.

Maybe you have been ridiculed because of your faith and have not witnessed for Jesus. Sometimes it is easier for a Christian to say nothing than to stand up for God and be ridiculed. But we should always be prepared to give a reason for the hope that is in us. The world just doesn't understand spiritual knowledge and is unable to understand it. They just can't grasp it no matter how hard they try so they lash at you trying to make you feel like a "know it all".
1Corinthians; 2:14
(But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.)
The Holy Spirit gives us His saints the capacity to discern divine truths. The world doesn't have this capacity so they ridicule you as a know it all.

Consider yourself blessed when you are persecuted for the name of Christ. You are not alone because they have persecuted those who came before you and they will persecute you as well as those who come after you.
Matthew; 5:11-12
("Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.)
Believe the witness of God because it is impossible for God to lie.

God Bless You!

Why Did Jesus Come To Earth?

Luke; 5:32
(I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.")
Jesus came to earth to die in our place and bring a means for all sinners to repent and have salvation. Everyone of us is born a sinner and in need of a Savior. I know there are those who will say that isn't true, but the Bible tells us that we are all sinners. Thus being a sinner we are doomed to die for our sins unless we accept forgiveness from Jesus. Jesus knew from the very beginning that He would end up being crucified on the cross because of our sins. Yet He loves us so much that He was willing to suffer and die in our place.

Jesus having lived the perfect life was able to be the perfect sacrifice for sin. His blood is what washes your sins away. His blood had to be shed in order for us to have forgiveness.
Hebrews; 9:22
(And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.)
As the song goes, "What can wash away my sins, nothing but the blood of Jesus", it still rings true today. There is no other way but Jesus Christ. He is not only Lord and Savior, but He is God the Son.

When Jesus was celebrating the passover with his disciples, He instituted the New Covenant. He had this last supper with them just before His betrayal and ultimate Crucifixion.
Matthew; 26:27-28
(And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body." Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.)
So we see that Jesus came to save that which was lost. Every sinner, 'of which all of us are', is lost and without hope of eternal life except through the blood of Jesus. Come to Jesus today and repent of your sins and ask Him for forgiveness. He promises us that He will not turn anyone away who comes to Him.

God Bless You!

Two Ways Of Life!

Matthew; 7:13-14
(Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.)
Christ tells us that to follow Him we will face many difficulties. These can come in the way of trials in life or you can be persecuted for the belief you have. We are not supposed to be surprised when difficulties come because we have been warned by God to expect them. It's easy to go along with the rest of the world because then nothing is expected from you. You just play follow the leader and everything goes along just fine. However if you stand up for your beliefs then you can expect to be slandered by the world. So going along with the crowd is taking the wide gate and you will be plenty of company.

If you chose to take the narrow gate, then plan on more difficulties in the path. Be prepared by studying the Word of God and being ready to give a defense for the hope that is in you. It calls for knowledge of the truth, submission to Christ as Lord, and a willingness to obey His will and Word. If you take a stand for the truth, the world will hate you because you don't go along with the crowd.
John; 15:18-19
("If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.)

So there are two ways you can go in life. Your way which will lead to destruction or God's way which will lead to eternal life with Him. There are no other choices to be had, it's one or the other. Jesus is the only way to eternal life, and if you refuse His free gift of life, you will die in your sins. The choice is yours to make.
Matthew; 16:25-26
(For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?)

God Bless You!

Slaves To Sin, Or Do You Have Your Freedom From Sin?

As we focus on Memorial Day here in America, we recognize all of our Fallen Soldiers. The country we are today is because of our belief in God and our brave men and women who serve in our military. We have the freedoms we have which came at a very high cost in human lives. Freedom has never come free and never will come free. I want to say thank you to all of the families who have had sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers who have given their time and some their lives to keep us free.

Even though we live in America and think we are totally free, we really aren't because we are slaves. You are probably saying "no we're not", but that isn't what the Bible says.
John; 8:34
(Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly I say to You, whoever commits sin is a slave to sin.)
So you see we are all born slaves and some of us still are. God tells us we are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God. So being sinners, we are also a slave to sin. Maybe you don't think that being a slave to sin is so bad, but there are consequences of our sins.
Romans;6:23
(For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.)
Unforgiven sin will bring you eternal damnation in the Lake of Fire. So what do we do because of our sin?

Jesus Christ has paid the price for us by giving His life in place of ours. He came down from Heaven and died on the cross to be the sacrificial lamb. Without the shedding of his blood, there would not have been forgiveness of sins. So you would not have had the opportunity to gain your freedom from sin. Now you can come to Jesus for forgiveness and be set free from the bondage of sin. There is no other way to be totally free without his forgiveness.
John; 8:36
(Therefore if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.)

Have you been set free? If not, come to Jesus today and be set free from sin. There is no other way. You can not do it by works or any other good deed. God gave his all for you, tell Him you love him and thank Him for your freedom.

God Bless You!

No Such Thing As Neutrality!

Matthew; 12:30
(He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.)
Jesus says that we either believe in Him fully or we don't believe at all. You are either for Him or against Him, there is no neutral ground. We have all heard people say "well I think He was a good teacher or a prophet but I don't know if I believe He is truly God". Others will say "I'm not saying He is God and I'm not saying He isn't God". Well the Bible says that if you don't believe He is God, then YOU ARE saying He isn't God. You can't be on the fence.

When Jesus was talking to the Pharisees He told them that if they refused to believe He was who He claimed be (GOD) then they would die in their sins without forgiveness.
John; 8:24
(Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.)
Jesus gave them no middle ground to stand on in the matter. They either believed or died in their sins, the choice was theirs to make. We face this same scenario today. We can chose to believe in Jesus for eternal life or not to believe and not have eternal life with Him. Don't wait until you die and face judgment. Give your life to Jesus today. Ask Him to come into your life and forgive you of all your sins. Tell Jesus that you do believe in Him and you want Him in your life.

Romans; 1:19-20
(because what may be known of God is manifest in them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse,)
God tells us that we all know He exist and no one will have an excuse in not believing. So if you think that will work, it's not going to. God doesn't want anyone to die in their sins and He gave us His Word to teach us about Jesus and the free gift of life. If you insist on refusing that free gift of life, then you will end up in the Lake of Fire (HELL) for eternity. NO MIDDLE GROUND!

God Bless You!

Believers Are The Salt Of The Earth!

Matthew; 5:13
(You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.)
We must make sure we never compromise our witness because if we do it is very hard to be effective. When you are talking to someone about God, they may say didn't I see you do this or that and you tell me it is wrong? Why are you able to do this as a Christian and I can't? God tells us that we are the salt of the earth and we need to be a preservative of the Christian faith. We are to live as righteous a life as we can with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Any time we are tempted to jeopardize are witness, the Holy Spirit warns us not to and we need to listen. It's all about being obedient to God and doing His will. We all have heard of someone who has sinned and ruined their reputation. Afterward it is very hard to regain the public confidence. It is the same with our Christian reputation. If you are truly living for God, the public knows it by the life you lead. They are watching you all the time to see if what you say is how you live your life. So never assume that the world is not watching you.

Stay in the Word of God daily and pray for strength in your Christian walk. We can only accomplish this with God's help. We know that satan will be doing all he can to put stumbling blocks in your way. He doesn't want you to succeed so he's able to accuse you of failing. Remember, it is easier to resist temptation than to regain a reputation.

God Bless You!

The Apple Of God's Eye!

Zechariah; 2:8
(For thus says the LORD of Hosts: "He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye.)
Israel is the apple of God's eye and any people or nation that troubles them will be dealt with by God. Over the centuries, there have been many a nation that has tried get rid of the nation of Israel only to be defeated. Even being out numbered in battle, the nation of Israel continues to win war after war. Why is this a losing battle for any nation that comes up against Israel? Well the only answer is, they are not just fighting the people of Israel but they are fighting against God. You cannot win any battle against God.

There will be many armies that will try it at the Battle of Armageddon only to be executed by the sword of God.
Revelation; 19:21
(And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.)
Any army that comes to fight against God will find themselves not in a battle but in an execution. God will not allow His people to be destroyed by any nation or people. What a wonderful feeling to know that we as believers are God's children. I pray that our country always stands on the side of Israel and not with their sworn enemies. We cannot compromise Israels safety to appease the Arab world. God says the land belongs to Him so we shouldn't be trying to make Israel divide it with the Palestinians. It belongs to God and his people Israel 'The Apple Of His Eye'.

God Bless You!

No Need To Worry!

Romans; 13:1-2
(Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resist the authority resist the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgement on themselves.)
Scripture makes one exception to this and that is if obedience to governing authorities would mean disobedience to God. No matter if we have a President, or a King, we are to pray for them and to obey our government. We don't have to agree with them but we are to be submissive.

God has instituted 4 authorities on earth and they are (1) the government over all citizens, (2) the church over all believers, (3) the parents over their children, (4) the masters over the employees. Unfortunately the Government has taken it upon themselves to intrude into the church, the family, and the work place. Do I agree with their policies? 'NO' But I'm am told by God in the Scriptures not to worry. Putting your faith in God will allow you to not worry because God is on control. Nothing is going to happen unless He allows it to happen.

Knowing that God loves you and wants what is best for you, will give you peace of mind. Everything that is going on in the world is leading up to Christ return. It could be today or years from now. All we have to do is be ready for our Saviors return.
Matthew; 24:44
(Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.)
Give your life to Jesus today because we don't know the day or hour of His return.

God Bless You!

Woe To Us If God Departs!

Hosea; 9:12
(Though they bring up their children, Yet I will bereave them to the last man. Yes, woe to them when I depart from them!)
Woe to any people when God departs from them. There has been a big push in our country over the last few decades to push God out. I understand this push is generated by Satan through man and keeps gaining strength. We can be very thankful that God hasn't turned His back on us as a nation yet. If our nation keeps pushing against God, He may just decide to let us have our own way. If that happens, watch out because things will go from bad to worse. If we think there is a lot of wickedness in our country now, which there is, it will get so much worse without God.

God can choose to bless a nation or not bless them and a lot depends on if that nation obeys Him. God has given us laws to live by and He has told us that if we were obedient to Him, things will go much better for us. God isn't going to force Himself on any people. He wants us to be obedient because we love Him not because we have too.

I will only speak of the United States and the the evil I see here. We not only have a very wicked nation right now, but our government passes laws that actually encourages disobedience to God's laws. When God says "man shall not lie with man, this is an abomination to Me", our government passes a same sex marriage law. This encourages homosexual behavior. We are telling God that we will do what we want no matter what He says about it. God tells us that human life is sacred. So we pass laws to legalize abortion which is killing an innocent human being. How long will God allow this nation to continue in these sins?

If the Christian community don't stand up and demand righteousness over wickedness, I see a bleak future for this country. We all need to pray and ask God to turn the hearts of our leaders toward doing what is right instead of caving in to some special interest group. One thing we all need to remember is that God is not mocked.
Galatians; 6:7
(Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.)
If we keep sowing to unrighteousness, we will keep reaping the consequences of unrighteousness. It's as plain as that!

God Bless You!

We Send Ourself To Hell!

Proverbs; 14:34
(Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people.)
God is very patient with all people not wanting anyone to perish. If they turn and repent of their evil ways He is willing to forgive. But if they don't turn and continue in their evil ways, there is punishment coming. It is no different with a nation which refuse to turn from wickedness. All through the Bible we are told of nation after nation which refused to live righteously and continued to live wickedly and then were punished.

It's amazing to see how just how quickly a nation which refuses to obey God's laws deteriorates. God told us in the Ten Commandments that "You shall have no other gods before Me". Anything that is more important to you than God is your god. God will not take second place. It is so easy for us to fall into this trap of placing someone or something in front of our relationship with God. It could be money, prestige, power, pride or any number of things, but God tells us "Don't do it".

Wicked nations such as Sodom and Gomorrah refused to turn and God destroyed them with fire and brimstone. These nations were living sin and would not stop so God finally had enough and destroyed them. God is a loving God and He wants what is best for us but He won't make us do what is right. We all have a free will to make up our mind and do right. But if we just won't obey we will suffer the consequences.

People say that God won't really send anyone to Hell and in a sense that is correct. God does everything He can to prevent people from going there but it is our stubborn pride that gets us there. God sent His very own Son Jesus to die in our place so we wouldn't have to die but many still refuse to accept Jesus as their Savior. So we sends ourselves to Hell by being sinners and being disobedient to God and refusing Him. You don't have to end up in Hell, all you have to do is come to Him for forgiveness and salvation.
Romans; 10:9-10
(that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart on believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.)

God Bless You!

A Land That Sins Against Me!

Ezekiel; 14:12-13
(The word of the LORD came again to me, saying: "Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut man and beast from it.)
God was talking to Ezekiel about the land of Jerusalem. Today it could be any country because we have all sinned against God. We look at just the United States and we will see a very sinful nation. We used to be a nation that many countries looked to for guidance, but now we have become a nation that is hated by almost all the world.

The one outstanding trait we used to have was our overall belief in God. But because of our selfish desires to have it our own way, we have pushed God out of the way. Parents have been raising their children without teaching them about God or taking them to church to be taught about God. Now we have become a nation where many don't obey or believe there is a God. They say "where is this God you talk about and why should I obey Him"? Everything continues as it has from the beginning, nothing changes. From what I read in the Bible and what I see in our country, our nation is asking for discipline from God.

But what have we done to deserve discipline?
1: We have legalized abortion which is the killing of innocent babies.
2: We have legalized same sex marriages in many states which God says is an abomination to Him.
3: We have pushed God out of our country but allowed false gods to take His place.
4: We don't stand behind Israel like we should, but force them to make unwise concessions to their sworn enemy.
5: We don't give God the glory for our blessings but take the glory ourselves.
These are just some of our sins we have committed against God. All in the name of being political correct and putting special interest groups in God's place.

So what should we do? We need to start seeing where our elected officials stand on these issues. If they don't stand for what God says is correct, we don't vote for them. We need to stand up for our religious freedoms before we lose them. We need to write our leaders and tell them to vote against same sex marriages, stop all abortions, and look to God for direction in decision making. We need to turn our country back to God and ask Him for forgiveness. If we will just humble ourselves and turn from our wicked ways, things may get better for us. If we don't, our punishment is going to happen.

God Bless You!

Standing Up For The Truth!

Miss California, Carrie Prejean stood up for her beliefs during the Miss USA contest and lost her chance at winning. She was asked where she stood on same sex marriage and she told them she stood for marriage between a man and a woman. Well she lost, and some say that her answer cost her the crown. She was later slandered unmercifully by the same judge on his blog. He degraded her just because she didn't believe in same sex marriage as he believes. He said her answer isn't what cost her the crown and also said her answer wasn't in line with the popular view of marriage in America. I don't believe this is the popular belief in America and most people still believe in traditional marriage between a man and a woman.

What does God say about this in the Book of Leviticus?
Leviticus: 18:22
(You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.)
Now the world can twist it around anyway they want to, but God says "NO", don't do it. There are consequences for sin and one day everyone will answer for the life they have lived when they stand before a righteous judge. Everyone of us is a sinner and if you haven't come to Jesus for forgiveness you will pay the penalty for those sins.

This girl stood up for biblical truths and has been verbally attacked by some in the homosexual community. She has suffered abuse because she stood up for what God says is right. God warned us in His word that the world would hate us because it hated Him first. So when a person suffers abuse for being a Christian and standing up for the truths of God's word, we shouldn't be surprised.
1Peter; 3:14-16
(But even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you are blessed. "And do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled." But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you the reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile your good conduct in Christ may be ashamed.)

God Bless You!

If You Keep Saying No!

Revelation; 20:15
(And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.)
This is the destiny of all who refuse to believe and put their faith in Jesus Christ. You may say that God wouldn't send anyone to Hell, but the Word of God says you're wrong. You are right in one sense, God doesn't want you to perish. He will do all He can to stop you but He won't force you to make Him Lord of your life. He will put many opportunities in front of you for you to be saved, but you will have to keep saying "No" to Him .

God loves us so much that He is willing to wait for us to come to Him. A person is going to have to work at it in order to end up in Hell. If you are stubborn enough and keep refusing Jesus long enough, then you will die in your sins and have your destiny sealed for eternity. The Bible tells us that there is no second chances after death. Some religions teach that you get a second chance but that's not Biblical.
Hebrews; 9:27
(And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgement,)
After you die, you will be judged.

Right up to the very end of your life you can come to God. Ask Him to save you and be Lord of your life. Believe that Jesus died for your sins and rose again. God wants you to love Him and have a personal relationship with Him. Just saying a few words without a change of the heart to follow after Him won't work. He doesn't want lip service but a heart that loves Him and wants to follow Him. You must surrender your life to Him and make Him Lord of your life. How do we know if we truly love Him?
John; 14:21
(He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.")

God Bless You!

Remember The Cross!

John; 19:17-18
(And He, bearing His cross, went out to a place called the Place of the Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha, where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the center.)
Oh how thankful we should be that Jesus took our place on the cross. He died as a sacrifice for our sins. He was without sin but loved us so much that He was willing to take our place. Because of His sacrifice, we now can have forgiveness of sins and eternal life in Him. It is a free gift from God and freely given to all who ask for it.

Romans; 6:23
(For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Notice it doesn't say that eternal life is in something we have done. There is no way you can be forgiven except by asking Jesus for forgiveness. He wants to forgive you but you must come to Him. He won't force you to come to Him, but He also doesn't want you to perish either.

John; 14:6
(Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.)
Jesus tells us that He died and He is the way. No matter what the world says, there is no other way to be forgiven. You'll never be able to earn forgiveness of sins. Jesus has already paid the price. If you don't accept His forgiveness, you'll pay the price yourself.

Matthew; 28:5-6
(But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.)
Jesus rose from the dead, thus defeating death. Death could not hold Him and the sting of death was gone. As Born Again Christians we don't have to fear death either. Jesus is able to raise us up from the grave to eternal life with Him.

Matthew; 7:13-14
(Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.)
We all have to make a choice in life. Will we follow Jesus (The narrow way) or follow the rest of the world (The wide and broad way)? I choose to follow Jesus and have eternal life with Him. If you choose to follow the world, you will spend eternity in Hell (the lake of fire). There are only two choices. You must choose one! I pray you choose Jesus.

God Bless You!

Times Of Trouble!

Why is the world in such chaos? If we think this just happened , we are fooling ourselves. The world has brought this upon itself. When evil is allowed to rule, there will be destruction. I can't speak for other countries, but I do live in the United States of America. I have seen what happens to a country that turns it back on God. Over the years America has been becoming less and less faithful to God. Consequently, the downturn of our country. We are hated by many countries of the world because of our belief in God, now we have lost our faith in Him.

Now we have the atheist, the homosexuals, the cults, and every other anti God organization pushing their agenda through our government. I would have never thought I would see the day that we would have same sex marriages anywhere in the world, let alone in America. We are becoming the present day Sodom and Gomorrah. God told the Israelites that as long as they would obeyed Him and follow His commandments, He would bless them. When they didn't, they had times of trouble. We are having times of trouble because of our disobedience to God. Until we turn from our evil ways and ask for forgiveness, I see this continuing and not getting any better.The whole world is experiencing times of trouble and calling for a one world currency, one world religion, and it could very well happen.

We used to be a God fearing nation but the fear of God seems to have left most people. What we find in the Scriptures is that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. I guess people have forgotten that everything they have is a gift from God and they should be thankful. We are not a very thankful nation because we seem to think we have done it all on our own.

So what is the answer? Jesus Christ is the answer to all our troubles and we need to turn to Him for help. First, we need to confess our sins to him and ask for forgiveness. Second, we need to ask Him into our lives to be LORD and Savior. That means we submit everything to Him and He becomes first in your life. Ask Him to save you. We ask Him for guidance and then we follow Him. It will no longer be about you but about Christ who lives in you. You give up everything to follow Him. At that point you will have eternal life and the trials of this world won't be as important or troublesome to you.

Remember this, He that is in you is greater that he that is in the world. If you belong to Jesus, He will provide for you and protect you. He will never leave you nor forsake you. What more could we ask than to be a child of God?

God Bless You!

A Losing Battle!

Proverbs; 21:30
(There is no wisdom or understanding Or counsel against the LORD.)
Who are we to question God? His ways and thoughts are so much higher than our, yet sometimes we will question God. When Job tried it, God asked him where he was when He made the heavens and the earth and made boundaries for the seas and told them they could go no further? What we need to understand is that God knows everything. He knows the future as well as the past so how can we even think about questioning God?

We are told all through the Bible that God thwarts the plans of the wicked. The wicked have no fear of God and they think they can do whatever they desire. There will never be a plan that can oppose God and succeed. Satan tried it while Jesus was here on earth and yet Jesus went to the cross and died for our sins. Satan will try it again at the end times and gather all the nations of the earth together to battle God. If you read your Bible, you know who wins. God always wins!
Revelation; 20:9
(They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.)

You've heard the saying "Choose Your Battles". Never choose evil over good because you'll lose every time. As for me, I choose to be on God's side and be assured of the win. Always remember, there is no plan ever conceived that opposes God and succeeds. Put your faith in Jesus today and ask Him to save you. Know for certain that you have everlasting life in Jesus Christ our Lord. There is no other way but Jesus.

God Bless You!

We Ask Why?

Romans; 3:23
(for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God,)
Everyone of us is a sinner. All of have fallen short of the measure God requires for righteousness.
Philippians; 2:21
(For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus.)
Everyone of us has our own interest at heart. We are living in the ME generation and it is no where more evident than in our sinful culture. The sad thing is that some of our elected officials have been fallen into sin. This may be moral or ethical sin but it is still sin.

We ask ourselves, "how could this happen"? It's a very simple answer. [WE ARE SINFUL] When we let sin take control of our lives, we are on the road to destruction. It seems like every day some new corruption is exposed. The very people we have put our trust in have let us down. So what do we do?

We pray for our leaders. Everyone is a sinners, but those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ have been forgiven. We need to pray for those unsaved leaders that they will come to faith in Jesus Christ. It is our only hope for change. Our leaders must learn to fear God and then I think we will see a change for the better. Don't give up praying.
Psalm: 111;10
(The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.)
Pray that our leaders and our nation will turn to God for wisdom and understanding in these troubled times. God is the answer to all our needs. As I have said before, Stand firm on God, He is our Rock and our Salvation.

God Bless You!

Upon This Rock I Stand!

Matthew; 6:19-21
("Do not lay up for yourself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.)
How true this is. We have witnessed so much wealth being lost in the world lately. So many of us have lost savings that were invested in the stock market as well as our retirement funds. Many of us had invested everything hoping to get rich just to see it dwindle away. Much of this was caused by the downturn in the housing market as people were being foreclosed on because they couldn't make their house payment.

God has told us in the Scriptures to lay up treasures in Heaven. I would say the majority of the world hasn't been doing this. This recession were in did not surprise God. He knows the past as well as the future and warned us not to invest our lives in earthly wealth. Yes, we are suppose to be good stewards with the money He has provided us, but we are not to invest our treasures here where this sort of thing can happen. We are to invest in the work of the Lord. This can be done in many ways. Helping the poor, giving to missions, giving to our church, giving where ever God directs us to give. We are to share with those in need.

I'm sure that if your treasures are stored up in Heaven, you have a sense of peace that most of the world isn't experiencing. Yes, you have lost some earthly wealth, but your home in Heaven is safe and sound. If you haven't already put your faith in Jesus Christ, do so today. He is our Rock and our Salvation. He isn't shaken in times of trouble. Upon this Rock I stand!!! I pray you can say same.

God Bless You!